The deputy county coroner, Mr Bernard Harfield, held an inquest on Monday at Mottisfont on the body of Jane Roberts, a domestic in the service of the Rev. St. John.

Winifred Mary Moody, cook at Mr St. John’s, said deceased was her fellow servant, and was 26 years of age. They had lived together two years and ten months, during which time she had complained of toothache and neuralgia, also of pain in her heart. Last summer she was home for three weeks, not being able to do her work, but since her return she had been well and continued her duties without complaining till last Sunday week. On the following days she was not well, and on Friday evening fell down in the passage, saying she was giddy. She wanted to go to bed, but witness induced her to stay up till half-past nine. She said her feet were cold and cramped. She did not sleep, and about five o’clock on Saturday morning she threw the clothes off and asked for cold water to put her hands in. Witness gave her a wet handkerchief to put on her hands and she wiped her face with it. She asked her if she should fetch Mrs Earl, the housekeeper, but she would not allow her. About twenty minutes past five witness fetched Mrs Earl, and on returning to the room found deceased still in bed. Witness took her in her arms, when she breathed two or three times and then expired.

Mr E W Parkinson, assistant to Dr Taylor, of Romsey, said he saw deceased about half-past ten, and found her in bed, she having been dead a few hours. He had made a post mortem examination, and found an enlarged heart and extensive disease. The right lung was very much congested; the left was adherent to the side and almost completely atrophied. The liver was congested, but healthy. He was of opinion that death resulted from syncope, from heart disease of long standing.